Alisson INJURY Blow! 🚨 | Wolves 1-3 Liverpool Analysis | FA Cup Draw Preview

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1:03to change. This is the Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo, giving you the inside track on all the big talking points from Anfield. Very good afternoon, and welcome to this Monday edition of the Blood Red Podcast, Liverpool Echo's LFC podcast, coming as ever to you from the offices in the heart of Liverpool City Centre. Well, Ian Doyle is on his way to Istanbul and Paul Gors is still out of action, so you stuck today with myself and Mark Jones and Watkin only be described as the greatest English Welsh duo since John Toshak and Kevin Keegan in their pompe. I think you agree with me Mark, how you doing? That's good, yeah, I'm not quite as tall as John Toshak, but I'll take that. Not quite, no, no. I see you in the Keegan role though, definitely. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, don't want to sell myself a bit too short there. Yeah, but, you know, I do play in a very similar style to Keegan, well, without the talents, but, you know, although I should point out that my teamports on like Vets did reach a final

2:09at the weekend. Excellent. Yeah, we've been playing. Oh, well, I came on. Okay, I came on. I contributed. Yeah, that's fine. Yeah, we beat, we beat Seth and Masters for the first time, so sorry, Seth, but, you know, when's the final? It is at the, I think it's the 11th of April against the Queens from Birkenhead who are a decent set up. So, shall we have a big game? How old is it? If we don't win, I'll never mention it again. Speaking of cop drama or cop success, then I've drama the right way, yeah, very similar. Liverpool got over losing to Wolverhampton. And the wonder is by beating Wolverhampton, Wanderer's three days later in the same stadium. Venge. Yes, revenge is a dish best served cold or just getting the next round of the FA Cup, as is exactly what Liverpool did and the game itself kind of started in a similar pattern to Tuesday, but after the break, they put on the afterburners and put it to bed, so what

3:13did you make of it? Yeah, what's the most Tuesday, wasn't it? There was a bit more attacking intent perhaps there, but I actually think a lot of the elements of the game weren't that different and maybe it sort of makes you think back to Tuesday's one, because we criticised them, obviously, a lot of people did for losing that game when Tuesday, but I mean, they were in control of a large part of that, weren't they? And they just got away from it at the end. I think they were in control on Friday as well. I mean, dominated possession and there was only one team that was really going to win that game. And you know, it put right what were a lot of the wrongs on Tuesday and in the end, yeah, very, very sort of serene progress really, wasn't it? It felt just like, yeah, you know, there wasn't, if I'm sure they were, they were angered by what happened on Tuesday, but that didn't come across in their game, did it? It just, they just played the game, played their way into it. First off was perhaps you wanted to touch more, didn't you, from a few players, but once they got into it and I know we'll come onto the goal scorer as I know, but what you saw was kind of a lot of Liverpool's experience, players stepping up and delivering and getting

4:16through to the quarterfiles. I predicted a three-one win for Liverpool on the Tuesday. Yeah, yeah. What a meant was Friday. Yeah. You know, no, no, no, I think it's probably just been lost in translation, I don't know. But I mean, half time, I went to Maloney on Friday and a half time, I was thinking, because I'd predict the penalties for that one, I was thinking, maybe it's going to go the course, even though Liverpool were in total control. And this is, it's a common theme, isn't it? Liverpool are often in what appears to be total control of matches and yet they still have found a way to drop points routinely in the Premier League and against teams that they simply shouldn't be dropping points to, but there were some key differences this time and they had more pace and one of the reasons they had more pace is because they had a young teenage sensation on the pitch in the form of Rio and Gamala and what does you make of his performance? Brilliant. Yeah.

5:17We've obviously been, there's been these calls around, we've seen lots of calls around starting in and I think, I have got no problem with how, with how slot and Liverpool have handled him this season, I think you have to be very careful with young players and how they come through. Think back to preseason, you know, he was shining them, wasn't he, he was scoring goals, I remember being at Amfield for the game, was against Bill Baal, the preseason game and he runs from the halfway line and he finishes it in front of the cup and you think, well, OK, what's going on here? And he scored a couple of other goals, I think, didn't he on tour, one especially I remember, but yeah, he, he had something different to the team and he had something that they haven't had in terms of that, as you say, the pace in the wide areas, the buildings take players on, go both sides and I think ultimately when you're looking at the team, the team is lacking these qualities. So the fact that he's so young almost overrides that and, you know, you're a bit like, well, you know, it doesn't matter that he's, that he's so young, they need these things in the

6:18team right now and I think it was perfect given what we saw on on Tuesday, you know, to put him into the side and to add it and right from the off, you know, he was, he was going as we had that short early on, didn't he, where he's, he's done his couple of step-overs, which seems to be his thing, but he's perhaps doing a few, like a few of those now. I thought it was really interesting performance, actually, because you were seeing, you see how he's part of the senior set up and I know Andy Robertson spoke about him after the game and he was talking about how he speaks to him during matches and what he wants to see out of him and, you know, it's a kid who's 17, he's already got so much more ahead of him, but, but right now he is kind of what was needed, a bit of a spark, a bit of something different and I think he helped, he almost helped everyone, almost, you know, okay, you know, this, this is a different game now, we, we can, we can find a way through this one and yeah, he was great.

7:32Right now you can get Disney Plus and Hulu for just $499 a month for three months with a special limit to time off or ends March 24th. After three months playing auto renews at $1299 a month, terms apply. The world moves fast, you work day, even faster, pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data, Microsoft 365 co-pilot is your AI assistant for work, built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft 365 apps you use, helping you quickly, right, analyze, create and summarize. So you can cut through clutter and clear path to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft.com slash M365 co-pilot. The Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo, yeah, he definitely heated up the action, which is, a show he's not here today because it's actually freezing in this studio today and then what's happened to the heating they wanted to get us sorted, but it's a bit of a fresh, sorry, a breath of fresh rather in the sense that we've been talking a lot about

8:36the Premier League this season and how it's all gone a bit, a bit root one, a bit of long ball, a bit set PC and we need, you know, big units to, to be able to play that game. He spoke about the guy who came on up front for Wolves on Tuesday and he started this game but didn't look at anywhere near as effective as he was on Tuesday, but Angamo is almost like the opposite to that, isn't he? He's bringing something that all these big lads who can deal with the ball in the air, can't deal with. Yeah, and he's just, he's playing the game as, you know, as I'm sure he has as a kid already through these age groups and like there's a reason why Liverpool kind of moved heaven and earth to bring him to the club isn't there for which I know upset Chelsea and there's, there's obviously been a tribunal around that, but, but a promise I'm sure was made to him that, you know, a path, a path can be cleared for you and, and he looks like he's just embracing that and really going with it. Yeah, I mean, you know, Liverpool's wide players have come in for a lot of criticism

9:37this season. That means certainly on the, on the show as well, Gakbo, Salah, not of the levels that we've seen of him. And I think that is almost testament to the kind of the way the league has gone. We spoke a lot about it recently. I think it is quite hard for wide players in the league at the moment. I don't think there's actually that many, you've had great seasons. If you look all throughout all the different teams, you know, we're at, we're at the point of the season. Now, aren't we where we're picking our teams of the year and stuff like that? And, and is there real massive standout wide players? You know, maybe you look at someone like Semenos at a good season. Not many others, you know, and, and I think it has been difficult, but you've just got someone who's unburdened, coming into it, unburdened by the issues at Liverpool, the season, unburdened by expectations. It seems like he's more than happy to just go and, and, and you saw it. I mean, they were giving him the ball. You know, they were like, Rob, but someone was giving it was, McAllister, I thought in particular was someone who every time he got the boys looking, trying to find him. You saw, was it in the second half where I think the ball kind of got, got, like, recycled from a corner and, and Van Dyke was, was ushering him.

10:39So I couldn't give him, go take him on and, you know, it's, the, these big names in the team are backing him. And, and he's taking it on board and he's gone with it. So, yeah, it's, it's really exciting and, and it's something that, I think at this stage of the season, it's just a nice little bonus isn't it? It's just a spark, I think, that, that people need given what's gone on this season and the difficulties. You know, there's still big games to come and, and you've got someone who looks capable of impacting those games. I spoke to John Aldridge earlier today, and we discussed Angamoa and he felt that the time was right. To start matches, not necessarily against Galatasaray, just because of that intense atmosphere. And we'll come on to Galatasaray in due course, but certainly against Spurs, he seemed quite happy for him to start the game and, and, and give him a good 70 minutes, if not longer to, to show what he can do. What's out of the fence? Do you, do you sit on that argument this week?

11:41Yeah, well, if you'd, if you'd asked me the question, Friday night, or, you know, when he was getting taken off on Friday, or when he's been given the man on the match award, I think I was very much in the car, has been the camp of maybe starting him to use day to be honest, but I think the closer we've got to that game and you, and you, you think about everything that, that it's going to be over there, which we know, we know the occasion, and then, then you do start to, and, and, you know, they've put brought on Florian Verts on Friday, which was big, you know, for him to come back from injury. So, you know, when you've got a player of that quality available, then, and Ungamal might have to be a little bit more patient, but, but Spurs, yeah, I mean, Spurs are a mess, I think, right now, and, and the last thing they want, I'm sure, is, is a player who's going to be just picking the ball up and ruining at them constantly. So there's definitely, it might depend on what happens on Tuesday, you know, if, you know, he could pick Verts, for example, could start the game and Tuesday play really well, you know, he's likely to stay in the team. So you are a little bit holding to what else happens, but, but I have, if he was, if the team came in on Sunday and he was in that,

12:42absolutely no problem whatsoever, if the team came in on Tuesday, I think, I think most people would be, it could be exciting, wouldn't it? If you, if you, if he named you in the start line up on Tuesday, your first thought is excitement. It's not, oh, he's picked a 17-year-old in Istanbul. What are you doing? Yeah, it's, well, that's good, you know, let's, let's have a bit of that. And it's, it's, and it's backing him. So if, I don't think this will happen, but if he did, I think it would be, everyone would be behind it, and it would be exciting. I don't think it's completely off the table, isn't it? I mean, we know that Slot can, as a tendency to be a little bit risk-averse. Yeah. And we've seen that more this season, we were even more so this season than we did last. But, you know, but as you've said, we've seen evidence from playing in the moa of things that Liverpool have not been doing with and not in the side. So if you want a little slice of that against the Galatasaray, which you might be able to silence fans in a, in a, in a, in a big stadium, maybe that's the way to go.

13:44Just on, on that sort of that side of things about pace, Jeremy Frampon back fit for Liverpool, didn't start against Wolves, but came on and again, offered a similar sort of impact from the other flank. Is it trickier for him, though, to contribute in that same way, given that he's got my hammered salad in front of him, and he's not likely to dislodge salad, I think, between now and the end of the season, even if salad's not, you know, firing on all cylinders. Yeah, maybe from the start, but I think he's useful, useful players that bring on, isn't he? And I think Frampon's useful players that bring on anyway, I think he's, he's, he's, I mean, the pace he has, we spoke about it after the West Ham game, didn't we, where he comes on against West Ham? And I think he was 77 minutes on the clock within two minutes. He's got Somerville running the other way. Somerville's been West Ham as best player. Somerville is panicking. He's, he's chasing back the way he's brought him down. He's got both three minutes later. Frampon's in again, then he makes the own goal for disaster and it's game over.

14:46And, you know, he, he's got that about him. He's got that energy and that's back about him. And he started the Gendrumbri when they played Gata Sorai, earlier in the season, he started that one because it was, it was the first one when, I think slot, slot left salad out as just as resting him. And, and he was, he started, didn't think quite go so well for him starting high up on that right hand side. But I have no problem with him coming on in there. And he, you know, he added something, didn't he? When he came on the other night, that pace is, is just, I mean, it's electric, isn't it? And Angamaru on the other side, I think what you saw, I think what you saw on, on Friday was having him on that left. I thought it helped Salah, oddly because, you know, Salah was having, it had a bit of a quiet game, but, but Salah, you know, it's, Mo Salah's not under the best of seasons, but he's still Mo Salah and teams go into games worried about him. So they have a plan to try and stop him. And it was almost like they were shifting players over to try and stop Salah, which was creating space on the other side for Angamaru. And then after Angamaru has had that first half that he's had, all of a sudden Salah, perhaps I get a bit more involved than he pops up with the goal. And, you know, it, it felt a little bit like that was, that was at play in,

15:49in a way, in a sense, I don't think, I don't think Salah's going to be dropped for Frimpong any time soon, but, but I think you're certainly letting matches, you know, if they're, if it's, if Liverpool are winning by a goal, maybe in Istanbul or they're, you know, they're trying to break and, you know, he's, he's a perfect player to bring on in that scenario as new Frimpong. And he can also start right back. So he's got, he's got that in his locker. And I think he's, he's a, I said it the other day. I think he's really important to keep fit for the rest of the season, because he's got a big part to play. The Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo. Life is full of choices, but the choice between getting crispy chicken nuggets or a crunch wrap slider isn't one you'll have to make. The new crispy chicken crunch wrap slider at Taco Bell. All white meat chicken nuggets, breaded in tortilla chips, wrapped up sauce and all inside a slider-sized crunch wrap. Choose from creamy chipotle or jalapeno honey mustard. Well, there we go. Life is still full of choices. The new crispy chicken crunch wrap slider. A brand new classic. Only at Taco Bell. And participating those Taco Bell locations for limited time and loss applies last.

16:53A great playlist. A great cocktail. Together, they make the moment mellow. Tonight, pour an unmistakable Manhattan. Combine the bold and balanced flavor of four roses single barrel, Antica formula sweet vermouth. Stir it and serve with four red cherries on top. And you'll have an unmistakable Manhattan. It's a classic for a reason. But history is in your hands now. Get the full recipe at four roses bourbon.com and make your Manhattan unmistakable. We have mentioned as well, of course, at Mozala. It's got two goals in us as two games as well. So back amongst the goals, which is obviously what he gets judged by. So he will want to take that into where Galatasaray is, as he will against Spares as well. Another player who performed well against Wolves and but isn't getting much of a look in his Andy Robertson. It's got a brilliant goal and put an all round,

17:54very good performance and linked up well with Vingamoa as well. Should he be playing more or has he just got to accept that Melis Kercus has been steadily improving as the season's going on and they've spent loads of money on and that's just the way it's going to be? I think he had a case earlier in the season when Kercus was struggling to adapt, wasn't he? I think Kercus has been good for the last two months or so. I still think I would like to have seen Robertson more, I think. It did surprise me. I've said it before. It did surprise me at the start of the season that the slot was very determined to keep going with Kercus when I thought Robertson could have added something to games now. There might be many reasons why I didn't think he wanted to play in, but he's just dependable, isn't he? And a game like that on Friday, I think is perfect for him. They'd lost on Tuesday. What do you want? You want characters in the dressing room?

18:55You want to make sure that doesn't happen again. He's the vice captain. You want your leaders in the squad to step up. You've also got a 17 year old kid playing in front of you. You want to play, you know, I mean, Kercus, is he 21? I think we still have a young player, 32 maybe. He's still finding his own way at Liverpool, and he's done better of late. I think everyone can see that, but he's still going into just thinking about his own performance. I think it's highly understandably. I think Robertson, and he said it himself. I've given him Robertson is looking at Ungamoa and he's like, I can help you here. And I think Ungamoa helped him as well. It worked quite nicely. So it was a perfect game to pick him for. And then he goes and produces that brilliant goal, and he opens the game up. So it was really nice to see, and just a reminder of the quality of the player. I think is he 32 now, maybe coming 33? I think he's 31. Is he a guy? I think so, I don't know. I'll check that one.

19:55But all signs are, there's no discussion around contracts or anything like that. Just get with him. Or signs are, these are perhaps the last couple of months of his Liverpool career, but what a servant he's been, and still capable of producing performance like that. He is 31 until Wednesday, when I'll be 32. So we'll call it the draw tomorrow. 31 till he's 18. 31 till he's 22, like most people. Well, you've sort of touched on my next question about Robertson, to suggest the right to self. He was the perfect sort of foil for Angamoa, and almost like, I said this to older, almost like his dad on the pitch. You know what I mean? Like, such an experienced player, a player who's won everything behind you. Is there a case that if you want to play Angamoa, there's a benefit to playing Robertson instead of Kirkers, because he can talk and through the game and make sure he's doing stuff off the ball as well as on it? Yeah, definitely. Yeah.

20:56I'm sure if you asked Angamoa about it, he'd be like, oh, Robertson's kind of on his case, but in a good way. Yeah. He's getting into him, and I think what he said after the game was he was talking about his decision-making, and that was the thing that he was drumming into him. Because, you know, you can see a lot of time when young players can't, you know, they want to do the things that they've grown up doing. They want to be taking on players, and they want to be, perhaps in their own heads a little bit about their own game. But if you're able to pick the right pass and make the right movement, then that adds so much to your game. And if you've got Robertson behind you, and he won't be, you know, he won't be controlling him, but he'll be giving him the right messages. And I'm sure Kirkers would do that as well, but I think, you know, Andy Robertson is a two-time Premier League winner, Champions League winner, international captain. You know, he's got all these things going for him. He's seen it all in the game, hasn't he? And not only can he help on Gamoa, but he can do so while playing really well himself,

21:59scoring a brilliant first goal, setting up the second goal. You know, for all that, for all the praise on Gamoa was getting. Robertson was the player who made the two biggest contributions in the game, brought the game open, didn't he? So to do all that and deliver in the way he had, I mean, it's invaluable. So, you know what I mean, and I mean, the player who cost £8 million from all nine years ago has got to go down with the best signings the club have made, hasn't he? And I think there's definitely a case for that. If you are going to pick on Gamoa now, where are you going to pick him? Is the question, and we know what we're talking about. It would be exciting if he did. Do we think he will? Probably saying no. I'm still, because we know slot is the sort of pragmatic side to him. I always think we've done it loads of times. We've debated team selections. And then it just comes out and picks the most obvious team. He was going to pick anyway. And he's just like, yeah, of course he does. So, yeah, I'd still say it's more likely it doesn't start than he does.

23:02But, but if he does, then yeah, definitely, you have in Robertson there would help him. Yeah, it certainly looks like a secure connection between the two of them. If I was to recommend a secure connection to actually Mark, like a secure internet connection, for instance, I would probably say you should get yourself on the old NordVPN, to be honest, which are, of course, the sponsors of the Bloodred podcast. Some of the benefits of NordVPN include watching sporting events, TV shows and films, which aren't available in your region by switching your virtual location to a country, which is showing the event, for example. If in Doyle wants to watch EastEnders tonight in a stumble, not a problem, switches Nord on, away he goes. It also protects your private data like bank details, passwords and your online identity. And these features are across 10 of your devices with one account. So, to get the best discounts of your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com forward slash Bloodred. Our link will also give you four extra months on the tier plan.

24:05And there's no risk with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee. The link is in the podcast episode description box, below. I think that is our commitment to covered there, well, and truly. Okay, that's enough about wolves. We can draw a line under that one. Oh, thank God. We've been a lot of wolves chat, isn't there? There has been a lot of wolves chat, especially in the last week. Yeah, sick at the site that place now. Yeah, we don't have to worry about that anymore. And probably not for a few more seasons, the way things have gone, unfortunately, for them. But as we look ahead, Liverpool do have an issue. And that is the news that has broken today that goalkeeper Alison has pulled up in training with some sort of issue, the likes of which we're not entirely certain at the time of recording. But the bottom line is he's not going to estumble. And Marmadashley is going to have to come in and do the job. So, that is a blow for Liverpool. Yeah.

25:06And another reminder that you never far away from some sort of difficult news of Liverpool season. It's a blow. Didn't see it coming, obviously. You know, I just come in here and I got a poor ghost of this parish said, yeah, he's not going. Bad news ghost. Yes, bad news ghost. Wow, it's the news. And yeah, we don't know as yet. It's important to say we don't know as yet the severity of the injury, the way it's sort of a politics, some sort of issue, which you think might not be too serious, but you never know what these things. I mean, we've seen it before. We sometimes hear reports of an injury and they make it sound like it's a game and then you don't see them again for a few weeks. So, hopefully it's not too bad. But yes, Alison won't be in Istanbul. Marmadashley comes in. Who we've not seen a lot of. We'll start a quick check actually. He's not, he's only played two games in 2026 because oddly, really, I found it odd. He started picking Alison in the cups, didn't he? In the FA Cup, he picked him against Brighton

26:08and he picked him against Wolves you the night. So, Marmadashley's had to be patient. But he'll come in and he'll play. And, you know, he's been fine, doesn't he? Again, I've just had a quick check there. He's made 11 appearances this season. 10 of them start. He came on in Istanbul, didn't he, when Alison went injured? Yeah. The 10 starts, five wins and five defeats. So, he perhaps was a little bit unfortunate to come into the side around that real downturn in October and November. I don't think you can say anything was really down to him. I mean, he's not Alison, but who is really. But as, you know, we're used to seeing an able deputy of the last few years in, in Copenhagen, he played. Again, wasn't Alison, but you were largely confident that he'd do a good job. I think Marmadashley's going that way as well. The only concern would be, as I say, there's a lack of football there, which going into such a huge game on Tuesday might be difficult. The Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo.

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28:14The Blood Red Podcast from the Liverpool Echo. That is a concern. But, and another concern obviously is the vast number of injuries Alison tends to pick up over the cause of a season. I think any of a goalkeeper or any goalkeeper of a lesser standing there, I reckon there'd be less patients around this injury record, whereas because he's Alison, there's probably a bit more tolerance to it. And I guess it sort of drives home the importance of having two very good goalkeepers at Liverpool because one of them tends to get injured quite a lot. But they've signed on with Ashley for the future, haven't they? And so, although he knows he's deputizing for Alison, he's going to want to put on a performance that makes people think twice about whether he should just be automatically taken out of the side. Yeah, I mean, Ian Doyle wrote a piece last week actually about Alison and this idea that we are coming,

29:15I mean, obviously I went through his age, but you're coming towards the end of his time. I think there's one year left on the contract after this. There are a couple of transfer links with him, to Italy and back to Brazil. And so you are, you know, you are perhaps looking. And these injuries are playing a part in that. And, you know, we've seen him. I mean, it's always, we don't know what this injury is this time, but in the past, it's been the hamstring. And it's been quite, quite bad hamstring injuries, aren't they? And you can see, I think a lot of people have noticed this season, things like his kicking and his distribution isn't quite as good as it once was. And even through things like he's not taking as many sort of goal kicks as he. Yeah. And, and that, you know, is that an attempt to protect this hamstring, which he's, he's clearly, it's clearly been an issue for him. He's got a World Cup to come in the summer, where he'll be Brazil's number one. So he'll want to, he'll want to make himself okay for that. I mean, that's for Lee, who's only, who's going to go on ages again, he's only 25, very young for a goalkeeper.

30:18And very hydrated, obviously, when he came to Liverpool, we had that year with, when he signed it and he had the year at Valencia, which I think perhaps didn't go quite so well, but, but prior to that, you know, you were talking about one of Europe's up and coming top young keepers. And, and we knew that Keller wasn't going to stick around forever, because he couldn't and everyone was more than happy to sort of wave him off. And, you know, look how well he's doing for a side in the top half of the Premier League. You know, it was time for him to go. Remember, that's for Lee as someone who, I think he, he's still things in his game that need ironing out, but Liverpool think there is, there is a player there to mold and someone who can, you know, really they can trend. I think there is a confidence, seems to me, there's a confidence there that, that he is going to be the number one when it, when the time comes. Now, when is that time? Is it this summer? Is it next summer? We don't know, but, but for now, you know, he seems, he seems happy there. Doesn't he seem happy at the club? He seems settled. He's a very good keeper. He's someone who, I mean,

31:19I saw him play for Georgia at the, at the Euros a couple of summers ago. And he really, really eye-catching, you know, really capable of pulling off respectacular saves. I think that was the thing that really stood out for him. But it's his distribution that maybe wasn't, wasn't the best. But if they can work out and work on that with him, then, then yeah, he's, he's got, he's, he's got a lot. And, and as I said, he's not done anything particularly wrong this season. As if Liverpool, there's nothing really that you think can point your finger out and say, cost them a game or a goal or whatever. So, yeah, there'll be confident that he can do the job. It's just unfortunate that it's come at this time, you know, trying to build a momentum, trying to go into this really crucial last few weeks of the season. And one of your best players is injured. I think as well, if he's going to build the confidence to be Liverpool's number one, and, you know, have that dominant service area, be able to bark orders, there is back four and stuff like that. Stuff was sort of, you know, used to with Alison. And it's quite natural for a new keeper to come in and not be like that straight from the off.

32:23You might need a run of games to be able to do that. We don't know the extent of Alison's injury at the time of recording, but he might get, you might get, you know, four or five games here on the run, if we've dependent on, you know, hope, hope Alison's injury is not of that severity. But that, that is something that could happen. So it could be a development stage for him. Yeah, we might be looking at, I mean, since Astral Break calling up isn't there. So you could be looking at again, we're speculating, but both legs against Galatasaray, spurs, and then is it bright in the home? I'll brighten away before the international break. So mate, if you've got that little run, you know, it is, it is a difficult position to get dropped in with some plenty of goalkeepers you're here talking about it. One of the things I remember from when he was in the first time around was there was, you know, certain things where perhaps the ball was getting played back to his wrong foot and things like that, where it was clearly sort of they wouldn't have done with Alison. Yeah. You'd like to think those sorts of things are getting ironed out on the training ground now. But I think he'll go in with, he'll go in with the confidence, I think of everyone.

33:25And he is someone who, he's played in big games, he's played in big games for his country, he's played in big games for his previous club. So, you know, he'll be, he'll be used to these sort of environments. It's going to be hostile one, obviously, in Istanbul, but hopefully he can come through it. What of Galatasaray then? They are a team that have already beaten Liverpool in the Champions League this season on the home turf. Turkish fans are notorious for creating a racket. There's been many, many, a, a, a big head taken at the Ali Samayyan arena. I mean, it's sort of re, slightly re-imagined now from what it used to be like in the 90s, but it's. Welcome to hell. Welcome. Yeah, and all of that, the Grafton flag and what not. I remember the beaten Manchester United there, once in pretty intimidating. Yeah, in the 90s. Yeah, I think every other fan had the flair, so it wasn't the best atmosphere for them.

34:28What a shame. But, you know, the ground's obviously been rebuilt. It's probably not as intimidating as it once was, but these lads know how to make a racket and they're going to be out to try and make it as uncomfortable for Liverpool as possible. So, what for you is a good result in Istanbul for Liverpool? Can you cheat maybe? You just, you got, you're going with that, with that attitude and whatever happens, up the other end happens. The game earlier this season, I was trying to remember about it before, I think Liverpool actually were a bit unfortunate. I think the penalty was was a bit of a dodgy, this is a bit of a joke, really. The penalty of the Gata, that's where I got, was, I think he sort of checked inside, didn't he, and supposed like, and I pushed him with his arm, and he went down and, and, and they gave it, and then that was early on, wasn't it? And so, that's the thing you don't want to do. You don't want to concede an early goal, because then the crowd don't need any, don't need any encouragement that they get to get up for it, and, and what's already a difficult atmosphere can become even more difficult. So, so, what they've got better at this, this, and it's kind of a thing that we've criticized

35:34them for, isn't it? These, these sterile first halves, but, but, but it might take one of them to, to just kind of feel their way into the game and, and, and really impose themselves on it. What you're telling me is I shouldn't get too excited about watching a classic. Yeah, when it's really kick off, so you can miss the first half if you want. Something to consider. Yeah, it's, it just, yeah, be fine. No, I think that, yeah, that's what they're selling to in the, in the first game, and I thought, yeah, the, the first game, it kind of, I think they'd lost to Palace, wasn't it, the weekend before, and then it's, it was the second one in a, I wanted to run, and they go on to lose to Chelsea in United, I think, so it really started that really bad first bad run in the season. But, as I say, I, I don't think the performance was terrible, and, and I think there was, was there a penalty given to Liverpool, and then taking away, I think there was, there was a couple of penalty decisions. Yeah, I think in it, I think it was a right decision. Yeah, if I remember correctly, it was pretty ropey. Yeah, yeah, so, you know, they, they've just got to stay, and I think maybe playing that game,

36:35they're doing the season, that, that will help, you know, if they'll know what to expect. They beat Juventus in the playoff round, which I didn't see all of, but I saw bits of, it's got five goals, it's got five, and the key, Juventus said a man sends off in both legs, and, and yet they still almost came back in the second leg, even with 10 men. So, you know, I think if you look at that, Liverpool should be confident that any sort of positive result over there draw, bringing them back to one field, they should be, be confident for the second leg. Juventus, as I said, had two men, a man sends off in both legs. The second leg, Lloyd Kelly, I mean, it was a ridiculous decision. So, like, they, they, they were unfortunate with that as well. Yeah, it was a bit dodgy as well. Yeah, so I think they just put, you know, yes, it was a bad decision, but Juventus did lose their discipline at times, and then in the, in the, the, the first leg, they just capitulated for, sort of, I guess like a 20-minute spell, where Galatasaray, when they can do that, you know,

37:37they've got good attackers, they've got lots of players who, you're sort of familiar with the names because they've been in the Premier League, or they've been around big sides, or they've been linked with clubs, awesome, and being the main example. You know, he's a very good centre-forward, isn't he? So, you know, you don't want to give him any encouragement, and if they can do that, I think they can, they can impose themselves on the game, and, and come through it with a decent and rough result to take to, I'm sorry, as I said, I think my first quarter goal would be to just try and keep it clean, she, and then whatever happens comes from there. Ryan Reynolds here from Mid-Mobile, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mid, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at MidMobile.com slash switch. A front payment of $45 per three month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required, introrate for three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra,

38:40see full terms at MidMobile.com. Possibly a game of keyboard to try and silence the crowd. The point about clean sheets is really telling for me, I totally agree with you, but again, against wolves in a game that they completely controlled on Friday, and let's be honest, control for probably a good hour of the game on Tuesday. They once again conceded the late goal. I mean, the goal they conceded against wolves on Friday. They almost bothered, was it? I understand. They don't get me wrong, you've been three in a look, but the ball has been punted on the keeper. This is proper dogs of war, stuff. Well, I think it's just kind of, let it go. Can I say it was, can I say it was in the net the other way? Can I say it tried to get on the end of a cross? He's not, the ball hasn't reached him. I think he just missed it and he missed the ball, and he's ended up in the net. So he's still climbing out the net and they're going down the other

39:41ends. And yeah, I mean, suppose I just, yeah, just get rid of it. I don't know, I mean, there are a lot of things to criticize Liverpool for, I think it was just a bit like switching off towards the end of a, there were probably, I mean, it's very rare to be three in a look in, in stoppage time, isn't it? So they were probably big. Yeah, probably a shock to the system. Yeah, I think I think of all the different positions. Suppose there's been asked to play this season, centreback is not going to be one. He gets brought in based on that, but all the barns lead back hill. Yeah, Joe, oh, my God. I had actually a rather hit to that from my memory. So thank you for bringing that back, Mark. That's the last time I can pay it to John Toshak. Okay. So fingers crossed for a clean sheet in a stand ball. And I will be out there reporting on it. If he does need to get in touch with us, I'm sure you will. Probably the best way you should do that is by using an e-sim. I know just the thing you could use to be honest with you, Mark, salient. So what is salient, you might ask yourself, if you've not been paying attention to these podcasts, you would have

40:46known, you know, if you had been, it is salient as an affordable, easy to use and sustainable e-sim service that gives reliable mobile and internet connections from anywhere in the world. Some of the benefits include save money or eliminate roaming fees with affordable e-sim data plans in over 200 destinations, including a stand ball, have a fast and reliable internet connection upon your arrival in your destination. And it's also got built in cybersecurity features. Sounds good to me, Mark. No messing around with phone in the airport, putting a new sim in. For more benefits and more information, download the salient app from the app store. And there is a promo code in the podcast episode description box below as well. Everyone's a winner with salient. Marvellous. Okay. We're near the end, Mark. Don't worry. Just in terms of looking at the bigger picture them. Yeah. What are our A Slut's priorities is now in the quarterfile of the FA Cup.

41:50So a good chance, certainly a good chance of reaching Wembley, maybe even Fervor. Still in the Champions League with a tie that is winnable over two legs if you play it correctly. And that Premier League defense has been a bit of a shambles, but regardless of what's gone on, they are still in the mix to qualify for next year's Champions League via that route. And maybe even fifth place will be enough to do it. There is an old saying, Liverpool FC exists to win trophies. What's more important here and what should be getting prioritised? I think, yeah, that old saying, I think I'm not sure they'll think the same in the club at the minute. And I think they'll look at the balance sheets. I'm sure they will look at the balance sheets. And I said it the other day, I think Slot has a very hard time of it in the summer if

42:53Liverpool are going into next season, not in the Champions League. I don't know what that looks like for him because it is impossible, I think, to generate any sort of positivity, any sort of sense that everything's going to be okay when they're not in the Champions League. So I think qualifying for the Champions League has to be the priority. The good thing for that is you've seen what's happened, the Ashton Villa, you've slipped of late, you've got probably four teams going over three places and I'm not convinced by any of the other three. So that's a good use, isn't it? Yeah, so Liverpool, whilst they have not been convincing, I don't think any of us have either, and you're in a situation where you're scrapping away with three clubs at kind of varying stages, couple of them got new managers, interim managers, Ashton Villa were kind of on the downward. It feels like they're on the downer having had a really good start to the season and could momentum that teams have all gone and I got a lot of injuries as well. So all those three teams

43:58will drop points as well, Liverpool. They will because I've said it a few times, that's the nature of what it is when you're going for these positions. It's not like a man's city Liverpool title race, where a draw is a disaster. You know, you will drop points. So it's going to be nip and talk with that, but I think, and you're seeing it now, it feels like a few players are coming back and a few players are slightly hitting a bit of form. If they can do that, then they should have enough to come in this top. I think it'll be five, so they should have come to the top five. The competitions maybe take care of themselves. You know, they, if they get Pascal Tassarai, which let's be honest, they should, if they don't, then more questions need to be asked, I think they should get Pascal Tassarai. They then play PSG or Chelsea in the last day with a second legged Amfield. So PSG and Chelsea aren't fancying that. You know, so they, they're in a situation where they can, they can make a statement in all the competitions. FA Cup, you're at the lock of the drawer and the draws this evening at the time recording,

45:01isn't it? They could get asked on a way, then it's a, it's a different, it's a different conversation, isn't it? They get asked at home, then, then as I've just had a conversation, so who, who things they should have asked at home? Because that's the best chance to beat them. You know, if you've got to be asked not to win the FA Cup, you might as well play Amfield rather than at Wembley, and it's any final. I can see his argument. So the priority, I think, I think it's Champions League and I was getting into the Champions League and it has to be. I'm glad you've said that at the end because I was going to accuse you of a great fence set there, but if you've broken it down well, you cannot parade fifth place in the Premier League at the end of the season or put it in a trophy cabinet, but unfortunately, such as the way football has gone, the bottom line is having access to that money. It doesn't say it comfortable with me that if I'm honest, but that's where we're at. Which tournament, which cup

46:01competition do you think is easier for them to win? The FA Cup. You think it's easier? Yes. But I mean, you can make a case for the Champions League. Yeah, that's what I mean. But they're on the harder side of the draw, which makes me think it's going to be more difficult, but on the other side, you're only two games away from the final of the FA Cup. So it ought to play for, until the odds are stacked against you, you're going to need to keep putting out strong sides. I knew I was working with quite small squad. Yeah, it is. I can see them getting through. They can take these all the way. They can take these cup tournaments away and they can do that whilst, yes, it's a small squad, but I think players are coming back and they should have the quality to be able to get through these. They should do. You're talking about Premier League Champions, but they've obviously been so far off

47:03it that times it makes you doubt it, I think. But they need to just wake up and see where they are. There's a real opportunity to still somehow make this a really successful season, which feels odd, given the amount of the stuff that we've been talking about and how things have not been right. They still have the chance. As I say, a lot of these teams, they'll be afraid of facing Liverpool, they will. So they can still do it. Can they get the consistency? Can they get the almost a coherence of the play? Does it feel like they are lacking that belief in a lot of the times this season and if they can find that, then anything is possible. This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Company. No matter how you do game day, on the couch, in the crowd, or manning the snack table, Athletic Brewing fits right in. With a full lineup of non-alcoholic beer styles, you can enjoy bold flavors all game long.

48:05No hangovers, no buzz, no subbing out for water in the second half. Stuck the fridge for tip off with a variety of non-alcoholic craft styles, available at your local grocery store or online at AthleticBrewing.com. Near beer, fit for all times. Right now, new fan duel customers can get up to $300 back in bonus bets every day for 10 days. Place a tournament bet using the token and if it doesn't win, you'll get up to $300 back in bonus bets every single day for 10 days straight. You can even mix things up with same-game parlays for a shot at a bigger payout. Fan duel. It's time to dance. 21 plus in present and select states. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable and expire seven days after received. Tokens are received in increments of one per day. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fandal.com. Gambling problem call 1-800-Gambling. The blood red podcast from the Liverpool Echo. I've given up on hope for consistency in bonus and I think it will come down to winning when it matters. So it might that might be an

49:05off to finish fifth and qualify for the Champions League but if they're going to win a trophy, I don't think it's going to be for consistency. I just think it's going to be from playing, being on your game on the day when it matters. But we will see. So we're not afraid to do that. Let's just pick our teams, what you think you should, on a slot should go with tomorrow night against Galatasaray. Normally we say Alison's in goal. Not today. Mum, but that's fleeing goal. I think we're all agree. There's only two of us here. It's not Freddie Woodman. So yeah, it's Mum, but that's for the end goal. Okay. What about your back line then? Well, this is interesting, isn't it? Because, obviously, Andy Robertson played so well. Joe Gomez played well at centre-back. So Bossley played right back. I think, and I'm talking about what I do and what slot would do, but I think he brings, and I would as well, I bring an answer back in. I think, you know, he's, he had a little rest. On Friday, he's been, he's been very good of late. So I'd put back him, him back in at centre-back.

50:06And did, did Joe Gomez question, you know, does he stay in the side in it? As it was, Bossley played it right back, didn't he, in the Istanbul game, gave away that penalty. I kind of, and it is more to do with what I want to do in midfield, but I would be tempted to keep Bossley there at right back, because I think they're going to want to try and control things in midfields, and also you want to keep playing Bossley because he offers so much set pieces of things like that. So I would have, suppose I right back, I'd have Kanate Van Dyke, and I would keep Robertson in the team for this game, with Kirk, it's been back in at the weekend. Okay, I've gone with, I brought Frimpom back in at right back, with Kanate and Van Dyke in the middle, and I've kept Robo in it left back for reasons that will become apparent shortly. Okay, oh, I've got a little sense of what's coming in. Midfields, I'll go first on this one, because that's okay. So I've actually taught

51:06my callister out, which is the type of player you want in these games, because of his mouse, so I'll be surprised if he started, but just for the balance of the side, I've gone with Grabbenberg and Bossley in those deeper midfield positions, we're back in in front of them. I would like to see him straight back in and impact in this game. Yeah, it's quite attacking. Yes. Yeah, I, so it's getting more attacking, let me tell you what go on. So the reason I've got, suppose I right back, is because I want to pick Kirk's Jones, because I always put Kirk's Jones in my team for these things, and I've spent, because you got the same surname. Yeah, well, you know, it helps. I've spent the season dropping my callister for him, but I'm going to play him callister in this one. I'm going to play Grabbenberg as well, because I think it's a game where you're going to want control in midfield. So if you've got, suppose I feed into midfield from right back, and you've got Grabbenberg, my callister, Kirk's Jones, who we haven't mentioned in better great game on Friday, scored a great goal. And I think it's a type of game that he could,

52:08he could really impact. So yeah, that's why I've got, suppose I right back, because I want that midfield, I want, I want the players who are good on the ball to play, and that is Jones, and that is my callister, as much as I've been a critic of him all season, I think you put him in this game because it's a type of game that he'll do well in. And is it the more advanced player in this season? Yeah, I think him and, well, him and Jones can kind of dovetail with it a little bit, but I have my callister a little bit higher up here to sort of join the attack getting to the box, you know, to keep all the pop up the goal, isn't he? Yeah, so I'll do that then. What about the front? So this is where I've got Virts off the left, and I'm not starting with, with, with, with young Rio, who can come off the bench, but I'll have Virts on the left, Salar on the right, and Ekateka up front. Okay, I've got Salar on the right, and I've got Ekateka on the front, but Robo is in for a reason. Yeah, he's going to, he's there to look after. Okay, Rio Angamoa, who the reason I've decided, I think he should start in this game as opposed to

53:12Spurs, and that's not to say that he wouldn't start against Spurs, is purely because in the Champions League games have tended to be a bit more open, and I just feel that that might suit his skill set. A little bit of a risk, but, you know, it'll be a talking point, and things aren't working out, you know, he's got Gapo, whatever he can bring down to, to change things around, and nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I'm putting them in. Yeah, I mean, if we were doing this Friday night Saturday morning, I'd probably have done that, but I think Closha's got to the game, I want to see Vert's back in the side, and I think what that does elsewhere, it's kind of like Knox has a big knock on effect, doesn't it? But I think for the same reasons you've said there, you're picking Vert's off the left, and he's got all the quality as an either. He can really impose himself on the game, so I think if, you know, I'm surprised Vert's played for as long as he did the other night, but having done that, I'd be starting him giving him an hour or so, and then you can turn to him after bench. Gapo, I think, you know, obviously coming for a lot of criticism,

54:16I think what you might, and perhaps what you should have seen a little bit more of, is Gapo being used as the kind of cover for Ekateeke, as the centre-forward, which hasn't really happened, a lot as it, but it was the other night, and Ekateeke has to carry a lot of the burden since he's actually injuries, that's start almost every game, you know, Gapo can cover an athlete, he played well on Friday Gapo. So, and all of a sudden you've got a situation where you've got a good bench, which Liverpool haven't had for a lot of the season, but you've got Ungamoa, you've got Gapo, you know, Kirk is coming on, you can have Frimpon coming on, you've got, you've got options which they didn't have for Joe Gomez, so more options and have been for much of the season, so I'll go with that. What's your prediction? So, I've said about the clean sheet, have a nice, so I'll stick with that, the unkeeper clean sheet, and they're going to win it one-0. Okay, I don't think Liverpool can keep a clean sheet, however, I do think they can win this match if they are bold and approach it in the correct way,

55:17so I'm going to go for a hopeful 2-1 win. Here you go. There we are, back in the positive, frame in mind, better than penalties against Wolves, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, okay, well, that brings us to the end of the day's pub. Mark, thank you very much for joining me, I'm glad someone could. I know, yeah. Yeah, where is everyone? Oh, we've just got bad things to do, haven't they? We will be back on Wednesday for a reaction episode following Liverpool's game against Caledassarite in Istanbul. That game is an earlier kickoff on Tuesday, is quarter-six, is it? I think quarter-six kickoff, so make sure you don't miss it, and make sure you join in for our reaction show on Wednesday, enjoy the game, and we'll see you then. You've been listening to the Bloodred podcast from the Liverpool Echo. Where's your playlist taking you? Down the highway, to the mountains? We're just in today's remote while you're stuck in traffic. With over 4,000

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